Yet Again British Public Choose Security Over Liberty
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," argued Benjamin Franklin, despite his wise advice time after time surveys show that on civil liberties questions the general public prefer security over liberty. The Survation Policy Intelligence Unit (SPIU) has continued its examination of the impact of emerging technologies on UK law enforcement. On the subject of facial recognition cameras, polling showed:
- A plurality (44%) support the use of facial recognition cameras in public areas
- Older generations were more likely to support the technology in their local area, with 68% of those over 65 in favour compared to 45% of 18-24 year olds
- The top reasons for opposing facial recognition in their local areas concerned the threat posed to people's privacy and civil liberties (37%) and a lack of trust as to how the data would be stored or used (32%)
Building public trust beyond current levels will depend less on technical performance and more on transparency, safeguards, and robust regulation.
According to Survation's Charlotte Forrest "Older people appear significantly more supportive of the technology than younger age groups. Among those aged 65 and over, 68% support the use of facial recognition technology in their local area, compared to 45% of 18-24 year olds. Therefore, while emerging AI tools might be assumed to provoke concern amongst older generations, the data suggests that perceived benefits around law and order outweigh such reservations."
Could it be that those who have more to fear from crime (the old) have the most incentive to support tools of law enforcement regardless of the risks to civil liberty?
